Colin's posts

"No. No tropics." Jaden replied.

"I hate the tropics." he said.

"Too much sun. Too hot. I burn too easily." he mumbled.

"And not just because I'm a dhampir." he went on.

"It's... well... I'm quite pale even for a dhampir, really." he continued.

"The SPF I need on sunscreen is... insane."

"....wow." Jaden muttered.

"Half lantha." he said.

"I... well, I'll be honest, I never would have guessed that." he admitted.

"Guess it... DOES explain a lotta things." he then muttered.

"But... well... yeah. Hm." he mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"Anyway, I should get to searching for a place to move to." he went on.

"You fine with moving outta the country, if it ends up the best option is out there?" he asked.

"Any by that, I mean, like, just crossing the border." he then clarified.

"....shouldn't even exist?" Jaden asked.

"Yeah... I know that feeling." he lamented.

"But... what do you mean by that?" he asked her. "Is it because you're bound to a human form?" he asked further, before pausing.

"Or... hm... how do I put this...?" he then mumbled, thinking for a moment.

"Does it have to do with the fact that... when I smell your blood... I'm... somehow reminded of, like... the sea?"

"Honing in on my head?" Jaden asked.

"....ah! Right. Draydins are telepaths." he remembered, snapping his fingers.

"...also, yeah. I suppose that's correct." he then said.

"I'm the roof over your head, and I'm what keeps the Triad away." he said further, his tone a little more deadpan.

"Well, congrats. You still have said roof, and the Triad will still keep away from you." he told her.

"Guessing they've been on your ass because of the... fights... you get into." he then guessed.

Jaden just sighed.

"Yeah." he said.

"I survived." he said further.

"...but only thanks to you." he went on.

"If it hadn't been for you, they would have killed me." he continued, biting his lip some.

"Guess it was lucky for me you were nearby, or hear me, or whatever." he then said further.

"Has to be." Jaden replied.

"We shouldn't have to hide who we are." he told her.

"But I'm going to search for a place." he then said.

"I'll let you know what I find." he said further.

"Anyway, want something to eat or drink?" he then asked her.

"Or are you good for now?"

"Somewhere else. Anywhere else." Jaden replied.

"Maybe even out of the country." he said.

"Any why?" he then asked.

"It's been made clear that this area may not be safe for us. If the came after me, someone else might, again. Or someone might come for you." he went on.

"And I think we need a bigger space." he continued.

"Somewhere that either has some nice big spare rooms, a really big backyard, or is near a forest." he said, knowing she'd probably guess as to why he had those specific criteria.

"......." Jaden was silent for a moment, and then sighed.

"I... hey, listen." he said.

"Thanks for... y'know... saving my life." he told her.

"And... sorry about that fight we had." he apologized, scratching the back of his neck.

"Also... I think we need to get out of here." he then added.

"Okay then." Jaden repled.

"...thanks." he said quietly.

-Several days later-

Jaden had been released from the hospital, and made his way back to the apartment that he and Anna shared. He sighed quietly as he approached the door, unlocked it, and opened it.

"Anna?" he called in.

"You here?" he asked.

"We need to talk!"

"Sure." Jaden replied.

".....please." he then mumbled.

"I don't know where she'd be." he admitted.

"But she seemed to know her way around this place." he then said, thinking about it.

"Kinda like... she'd been here before numerous times."

"I've noticed." Jaden responded.

"But I've not really cared about that." he told her.

"Until now, anyway." he said further.

"But yeah, methinks I'm gonna move." he reiterated.

"I'll bring it up with Anna the next time I see her... whenever THAT is."

"I know." Jaden responded.

"Just... I know." he said.

He then brought a hand up to his eyes, and covered them for a moment.

"....and I think I know how." he told her.

"We had a fight recently, about space for plants and such." he then said. "I said the place was too small. She said there's always room for more plants, and she can make them non-intrusive." he went on.

"And it's clear this area might not be safe any longer." he continued.

"Maybe I should move to a larger place."

Jaden nodded.

"Yeah." he replied.

"I'm alive. But only because someone intervened." he said.

"That someone being Anna, of all people..." he mumbled.

"Just... yeah... I didn't see that coming." he admitted further.

"Being jumped like that, OR Anna saving my bacon."

Jaden just sighed.

"I'm fine." he said.

"I think." he told her.

"Just... I didn't expect to be jumped by so many hunters." he admitted.

"The scar on my back hurt again, Mom." he then said.

"I felt it burn when they showed up." he continued.

"It was... unnerving."